“I believe in what I’ve made,” Borumand, 67, said during her speech and added, “I don’t believe in absolute evil and absolute good and I have no absolute bad character or absolute good character in my works.”

Borumand who is also the writer of her own series and movies noted, “The ability for storytelling is instinctive and writers have the skill in their nature.”

She said that people should be curious and read to improve their skills in writing.

She also remembered her parents and chemistry teacher Manzar Hashemi-Siahpush who launched a library with the support of schoolchildren when she was 13.

“We had to read one book each week and we also had to progress in our chemistry. In the books, I travelled to the lands where the stories were set in; I felt the pains and grief, and telling story made my way to speak and express my ideals,” she stated.

Critics Sergei Barseghian and Ali Masudinia, set designer Amir Esbati and screenwriter Farhad Tohidi also delivered speeches about Borumand.

“She is a director who mostly makes films for children,” Esbati said. “She is a storyteller and is a pioneer in puppetry, and should be considered an ardent supporter of puppeteers.”

He also praised Borumand for her social activities, and noted that she is always straightforward.

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He made the remarks in a press conference held at Tehran’s Charsu Cineplex on Friday just one day after his workshop, which was organized by the 36th Fajr International Film Festival.

“The better the films are, the easier they can cross the borders and be shown in the world, but that is not an easy thing to do,” said Donner who is the founder of the Finnish Film Archive, which was later renamed the National Audiovisual Archive.

“Fewer people go to watch films in cinemas than before because of television, and that distribution on the internet is so widespread, but we still must remember that the basis of all filmmaking and all artistic activities is the freedom of expression,” he said.

He also noted that he believes filmmaking is very hard, although he has made and produced many films.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he referred to men’s dominance over the world’s film industry and said that more female filmmakers should join the industry.

Donner next answered a few questions put to him by journalists.

Asked about the appearance of big film companies that are eager to cooperate with small countries, he replied, “The only thing I know is that there are several companies that are competing in this field. I think those companies are more anxious to get into the European market and not the whole film market. I still say we have to find money for our films from public sources or private sectors, or from our own companies; not from the big American companies.”

Elsewhere, Donner said that he does not know Iranian cinema very well and he is here to get to know more about it through the festival.

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“Women have a greater potential for making a film and competing at international events,” Qasemi told the Persian service of Tasnim.

A committee of nine cineastes selected as Iran’s submission to the 90th Academy Awards in the best foreign-language film category on Tuesday.

In her an interview with the Persian service of MNA on Wednesday, Abyar called the choice of her film as Iran’s submission to the Oscars a big event and added, “I suppose that women have been given more confidence.”

“Being a good film is not the sole criterion for winning an Oscar,” she said and added, “More measures such as arranging international screenings and having a contract with a reputable company for international distribution of the film are also requirements.”

Iranian Independents, a company marketing Iranian independent feature and documentary films, is the international distributor of “Breath”.

“I have complete confidence in the cinematic charter, aesthetics, theme and the high standards of ‘Breath’,” Mohammad Atebbai, the director of the company, wrote in a press release published on Wednesday.

However, he asked the Cinema Organization of Iran to help the company in the promotion of the film in the international arena.

Abyar has said that she made “Breath” in praise of peace. The film shows how wars crush children’s dreams and hopes for a bright future.

Abyar won the Golden Wolf for best director for “Breath” at the 20th Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Estonia in November 2016.

She also was picked as best director for the film at the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival in the Canadian city in March 2017.

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